In this article, Canadian youth delegates Tina Yeonju Oh and Jennifer Deol confront the Canadian government’s hypocritical stance on gender parity in international climate change negotiations. Despite public-facing support for women’s empowerment, Canadian leadership failed to stand in solidarity with Indigenous and grassroots women behind closed doors at COP 23. Canada was unwilling to embed binding language on just transition in the Gender Action Plan, along with other countries with deep ties to the fossil fuel industry, including the United States, New Zealand, and Australia. International leaders’ empty rhetoric on gender equity obstructs pathways to community resilience and self-determination for marginalized and vulnerable populations. Photo credit: National Observer
